Heritage Day on 8 December 2011 was a moment to reflect on the organisational development of the Alliance with the publication of the Annual Review of 2011, and a look forward to the organisation’s direction over the next three years through the Strategic Plan 2012-15.

Taking as its theme ‘Leadership, Influence and Enterprise’ the Alliance’s Strategic Plan 2012-15 sets out the principles behind the Alliance’s work: that the non heritage organisations have a unique and crucial role in protecting and promoting our heritage; that enjoying and caring for our heritage is of lasting public value for present and future generations; and that by valuing the contribution made by thousands of groups, individuals and volunteers, the Alliance celebrates the diversity of the heritage movement.

With these in mind, in the period 2012-15 the Alliance will place more emphasis on public understanding of the social value of heritage, extend its membership and support the financial resilience of the non-government heritage bodies. Its overall mission is to champion a strong and prominent independent heritage sector and to be the voice of the independent heritage movement.

Heritage Open Days (HODs) is England’s largest and most popular grassroots heritage event. Its success lies in the passion and commitment of thousands of local volunteers and organisers who stage over 4,000 events every year. These tap into people’s innate curiosity about their local area and regularly attract over one million visitors.

But how can we sustain the event’s tremendous success in the long run? How can it be made even better? Your opinion counts in helping us to address these questions. HODs is now operating under the stewardship of the new national partnership between Civic Voice, National Trust and The Heritage Alliance. How can HODs take advantage of the return to its roots, the voluntary and community sector?

English Heritage will be funding the national partnership to co-ordinate HODs until March 2015, after which the programme needs to find alternative sources of income. But the question about HODs’ long-term future goes beyond developing a new fundraising strategy. Creating a sustainable future for HODs provides us with a unique opportunity to look afresh at the programme and where it fits in a fast-moving world. We need to think about whether it needs to change and if so, how.

This invites some really 'big questions' and we would welcome your ideas and responses to help us shape the future vision and strategy for this national flagship event. Please contribute your feedback to the online survey by 4 March. The results will help inform the options for the future, and we will seek your views on these in the Spring. Thank you.

The House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee published its report on the National Planning Policy Framework on 21 December 2011. The Alliance and many others in the heritage sector responded to the initial consultation.

The Committee's report acknowledged the view of many in the sector that ”the NPPF must leave no room for doubt that the purpose of the planning system is to address social, environmental and economic demands on land supply on an equal basis.” The Committee’s remit was to inquire into the wider issues of sustainable development and core planning principles. It did not generally examine specific policy areas, such the historic environment in detail. Click here for a full list of the Committee's recommendations.

The report ends by recommending a further short consultation, which would be welcomed by the Alliance. Heritage is not a barrier to growth and development and the Alliance will respond positively to any further consultation to ensure that heritage is seen as a benefit to economic development, and that social and environmental factors are given appropriate weight in the NPPF.

A report from the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum Review has recommended that history and ‘the arts’ should be made compulsory at Key Stage 4 (ages 14 – 16).

The report , commissioned by the Department of Education, recommends specifically that “in addition to existing arrangements, curricular provision in the following subjects should be made statutory at Key Stage 4: geography, history, modern foreign languages (all foundation subjects within the National Curriculum), design and technology and ‘the arts’.” The report also states that cultural education is an expected part of pupils’ schooling “to introduce them to the best of their cultural heritage(s), so that they can contribute to its further development.” Evidence also suggests that these subjects are important to the economic health of a country and benefit “pupil engagement, cognitive development and achievement, including in mathematics and reading”.

The Cultural Learning Alliance, of which the Heritage Alliance is a member, has welcomed the recommendations made in the report, commenting: “This is a fantastic recognition of the value and importance of arts disciplines to our education and learning system.”

Education Secretary Michael Gove has confirmed that the curriculum review expected in 2013 will now be in place by autumn 2014, to allow time for “further debate”. Mr Gove has said his Department will publish a detailed timetable for the conduct of the remainder of the review, as well as a refreshed remit, will be published early this year. More here.

Adding fuel to the Expert Panel's fire, historian Chris Skidmore MP (Con, Kingswood) secured a Westminster Hall debate on the teaching of history in schools. The debate, which took place on Tuesday (10 January), focused on the case for making history compulsory to age 16 and was well attended by Members across the main parties.

Speakers included Mr Skidmore, who is a research fellow in history and Vice Chairman of the APPG for History and Archives, and fellow historian Tristram Hunt MP (Lab, Stoke on Trent).

Taking Mr Skidmore's report on history in schools as a starting point, the debate revealed some interesting facts, such as that the UK is the only European nation aside from Albania which allows students to drop history at age 14; and that the number of pupils studying history beyond 14 dropped below 30 per cent for the first time last year.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb responded: "The new national curriculum will be based on a body of essential knowledge that children should be expected to acquire in key subjects during the course of their school career. It will embody for all children their cultural and scientific inheritance, and it will enhance their understanding of the world around them and expose them to the best that has been thought and written."

The full transcript of the debate can be found here.

For 70 days from 19 May to 27 July 2012 the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay will travel the length and breadth of the UK, bringing the excitement of the Games to local places. At all times the torch will be within a one hour journey time of 95 per cent of the population and thousands of people will be coming out each day to see the torch travel through their town, village or city.

This provides a unique opportunity for organisations and communities to show off the best of the historic environment and attract new audiences to those hidden spaces, places and stories that make unique locations on or around the torch relay route.

The Heritage Alliance’s Cultural Olympiad project Discovering Places (DP) will be helping heritage organisations and potential audiences to get the most out of the Torch Relay by dedicating its popular blog to highlighting interesting stories, local sites, activities and events taking place along or near to the route. The blog launched in August 2011 and has already built up a steady following thanks to the stimulating content provided by contributors from across the historic and natural environment sectors.

DP now needs organisations and individuals to send information about sites and events along the route for promotion to blog readers. Blog posts will run three days in advance of Torch Relay stops to help audiences plan their day out and inspire people to discover more of their local historic environment. If you know of a unique heritage site, place or event that DP should include in the blog, or a place that has a special Olympic connection, then get in touch with DP at admin@discoveringplaces.co.uk

The Government is currently consulting on draft tax legislation which sets out how a tax reduction could be applied to an individual’s or company’s liability to income and capital gains tax or corporation tax, as appropriate, when they have successfully donated an object to be held for the benefit of the public or the nation. The provisions for this, which were announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, are to be contained in a Schedule to the Finance Act 2012 (draft Finance Bill clauses here).

Following public consultation in summer 2011, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in liaison with HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs has made five key changes to the proposed Cultural Gifts Scheme . These are: the overall annual budget for the Scheme and Acceptance in Lieu will now be £30m (up from £20m); objects donated under the Scheme will be legally owned by the receiving institution (not by the Secretary of State or relevant Minister); individual donors will be able to spread the tax reduction over a period of up to five financial years (instead of a single financial year); the individual donor will now receive a tax reduction of 30 per cent of the value of the object (up from 25 per cent); and, businesses will now be eligible to claim a reduction in their corporation tax liability (where formerly there was no firm commitment).

DCMS is now seeking feedback on the scheme guidance. Comments should be sent to mark.caldon@culture.gsi.gov.uk by 29 February.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has launched a new Gift Aid resources website. The aim is to provide a full summary of Gift Aid and related issues for use by charities and tax advisors to philanthropists.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) pays around £1bn a year to charities and other qualifying bodies through Gift Aid. The website covers the basics of Gift Aid, which gifts qualify and key areas of difficulty for tax advisors and clients, for example, when a donor makes a series of gifts. It covers the rules and gives examples of how to calculate the so-called benefit test and aggregate value test. More here.

The Treasure Annual Report 2009 was published on 14 December 2011. The report revealed 778 Treasure cases were reported in 2009 and museums have acquired or are seeking to acquire 261 of these. 

The number of cases where one or more parties waived their right to a reward increased from 51 in 2008 to 71 in 2009, enabling museums to acquire such finds at no or reduced cost.  381 finds were disclaimed and subsequently returned to the finders/landowners.  Metal-detecting accounted for the vast majority (94.73%) of Treasure cases reported in England and Wales. Archaeological finds accounted for 2.69% of 2009 Treasure cases.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme Annual Report 2009/10 was also published on 14 December, and highlighted a further 157,188 recorded finds in 2009/2010.

The latest blog post from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) seeks to stimulate discussion across the cultural sector on the very idea of measuring cultural value. Dr Claire Donovan is an academic working at DCMS to write a report on this issue, and wants to know what we in the heritage sector, and those in the arts, libraries, and museums sectors, think.

Dr Donovan asks can the value of culture be measured by government in monetary (or other) terms, or is it ‘priceless’? Is ‘measure’ the right word? What is ‘culture’ anyway? What does ‘value’ mean and to whom? And how should DCMS go about deciding what to support with public money? Get involved in the discussion here.

A new pilot project aiming to grow the rural economy is now open for applications. The scheme, announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, will invest £15m in creating Rural Growth Networks, with the aim of improving infrastructure, providing suitable business premises in rural areas and helping rural enterprises gain access to finance and business support. In addition, businesses in Rural Growth Networks will enjoy preferential status when applying for grants from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) anticipates that the Networks will be run in cooperation with councils or Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). Local Authorities and/or Local Enterprise Partnerships interested in applying to become a pilot Rural Growth Network can do so by 31 January. Click here for scheme information and instructions on how to fill in the application form.

The application round for the 2012 Sandford Awards is now open. The Awards recognise and promote excellence in heritage education at sites across the British Isles. The Sandford Award is a ‘kite mark’ for high quality education provision, recognised by schools and other education institutions across the country.

They cover a broad range of heritage, from historic sites, museums and art galleries, to places of worship, gardens, landscapes, and historic artefacts.  Last year’s winners included Durham Cathedral, Crich Tramway Village, the V&A and the Museum of London. Previous award ceremonies have been held at venues such as Windsor Castle and the Houses of Parliament, and have been presented by high profile figures such as HRH Prince Edward and Alliance Chairman Loyd Grossman.

For further details and to request an application form, please email sandford@bishopg.ac.uk or ring 01522 583695. More here.

The Ask the EU website has been built by civil society organisations to help members of the public get the information they want about the European Union, by directly asking for it. The site is currently available in English, French, German and Spanish but volunteer translators are invited to contact the website to broaden the range of languages covered.

The Church of England has announced a competition for design students, leading designers, manufacturers or contractors to design new church seating.

The competition has two categories: a/ design a chair under £100 - open to students and recent graduates (cash prize and opportunity to pitch to manufacturers); b/ design a seat (chair or bench) for churches - open to all. Ideally, designers will specify UK manufacture as well as sustainably and locally sourced materials.

Entries must be submitted by 30 March, and the results will be announced at an awards ceremony on 14 June at St John's Church, Hyde Park accompanied by an exhibition of finalists' chairs. Click here for full details and an application form.

An Historic Towns Forum project in conjunction with The Prince’s Regeneration Trust and fourth year UWE architecture and planning student Heidi Tremlett, has produced a useful guidance leaflet to show how historic home owners can reduce CO2 emissions in their homes. Download the leaflet here.

Environmental reports on the revocation of existing Regional Spatial Strategies. A DCLG consultation. The Government is carrying out environmental assessments of the revocation of the existing regional strategies in Yorkshire & Humber, the South East, the West Midlands, the North West, the North East, the East, the East Midlands, and the South West. Deadline: 20 January.

Consultation on the Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012. A DCMS consultation seeking views on proposals to introduce new regulations for the Royal Parks land in the vicinity of Parliament Square. The proposed regulations will mirror the seizure powers introduced by the 2011 act providing a consistent approach to the Parliament Square area. Deadline: 23 January.

Consultation on the new rural policy functions within Government and the proposed abolition of the Commission for Rural Communities This consultation seeks views on the new rural policy functions within Government and the proposed abolition of the Commission for Rural Communities as a statutory NDPB, as provided for under the Public Bodies Bill currently before Parliament, following the Government’s Arms Length Body Review. Deadline: 30 January.

Finance Bill 2012: draft clauses and explanatory notes. HM Revenue and Customs is now consulting on a range of draft clauses and expanatory notes to be included in the Finance Act 2012 (including on charity and philanthropic measures - see article above). Deadline: 10 February.

The Red Tape Challenge: housing and construction A Cabinet Office consultation seeking views on whether certain housing and construction regulations should be scrapped, reformed, simplified, made non-regulatory, or left as they are. One of the regulations considered is the Authorisation of Works (Listed Buildings) (England) Order 2001, which requires notice of proposals to demolish a listed building to be given to English Heritage. Deadline: 16 February.

Cultural Gifts Scheme: A Scheme for the Gifting of Pre-Eminent and Associated Objects in Exchange for Tax Reductions  DCMS is now seeking feedback on the scheme guidance (see article above). Comments should be sent to mark.caldon@culture.gsi.gov.uk Deadline: 29 February.

Building a sustainable future for Heritage Open Days: a short consultation. Heritage Open Days (HODs) is England’s largest and most popular grassroots heritage event. But how can we sustain the event’s tremendous success in the long run? How can it be made even better? HODs is now operating under the stewardship of the new national partnership between Civic Voice, National Trust and The Heritage Alliance. How can HODs take advantage of the return to its roots, the voluntary and community sector? Creating a sustainable future for HODs provides us with a unique opportunity to look afresh at the programme and where it fits in a fast-moving world. We need to think about whether it needs to change and if so, how? Deadline: 4 March.

Discussion paper on the impact in England of EU Commission regulatory proposals for Common Agricultural Policy reform, post 2013. An informal DEFRA consultation seeking views on the impact in England of EU Commission regulatory proposals for Common Agricultural Policy reform, post 2013. The proposals include a replacement for the Single Payment Scheme, revised rules which will guide the next Rural Development Programme in England, and new initiatives such as ‘greening’, ‘capping’ and a dedicated ‘small farmers’ scheme. Deadline: 5 March.

The European Commission's Proposal for a Creative Europe Programme. A DCMS consultation seeking views on plans announced by the European Commission for a new £1.5bn Creative Europe programme. The new programme would allocate more than €900m in support of the cinema and audio-visual sector and almost €500m for culture. The plans also include a new financial guarantee facility worth more than €210m, which would enable small operators to access bank loans. Deadline: 16 March.

Consultation on changes to the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). The Standard Assessment Procedure is the government’s tool for assessing the energy and environmental performance of dwellings. This DECC consultation seeks views on proposed changes to it. Deadline: 28 March.

10 & 16 Jan: British Library Preservation Advisory Courses London

19 Jan: Chairman of The Heritage Alliance Loyd Grossman on Our Endangered Heritage: A National Asset at Risk Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge

31 Jan: Responding to the Henley Review - the Future for Cultural Education Westminster

7, 8 & 16 Feb: British Library Preservation Advisory Courses London

7 Feb: CCRI Rural Policy Conference: Adapting Rural Policy for a Sustainable Future Gloucester

9 Feb: Lime in New Build seminar The Vyne, Basingstoke

12 Feb: Conservation Policy for Heritage Ironwork forum Holme Lacey, Herefordshire

14 March: Funding the Future conference Westminster

22 March: Delivering the Green Deal Westminster

Europeana.eu is funded by the European Commission to bring together the digitised content of Europe’s museums, libraries, archives and audiovisual collections. Currently, the portal gives access to 20 million items. Europeana is run by a team of 40 in The Hague, Holland, with contributors working in all countries of the EU. The communications and PR activities are run from the British Library.

The succesful candidate for this post will be an experienced and innovative campaign manager able to run PR initiatives in 30 European countries over the next three years. They will be travelling to each country to start the campaign, working with local PR agencies and colleagues from the heritage sector and ministries of culture. They will then co-ordinate their work from the UK, coaching and developing the network so that their profile-raising for Europeana continues beyond the initial phase.

For further information / to apply click here. Closing date is 26 January.

The National Trust seeks to appoint a specialist consultant or organisation to undertake a Conservation Management Plan for A la Ronde. 

The National Trust has recently commissioned a CMP for the surrounding grounds and now intends that this research should be extended to include all of the built structures on site. The plan should be produced in accordance with existing HLF and EH guidance and will incorporate a structural survey. The work will begin as soon as possible and should be completed within six months of commencement.

To request a tender document please contact Hilary Burrow: hilary.burrow@nationaltrust.org.uk / 01395 265514 Deadline is midday 30 January

The Engineering Heritage Skills Initiative (EHSI) is currently recruiting for eight full-time and one part-time traineeships for its 2012-13 intake of trainees. The traineeships will start on Monday 2 April 2012 and end on Friday 29 March 2013. For further information contact kevin.malone@nect.org.uk / 07787699159.

Details of the individual traineeships and application forms can be found here. Deadline is 5pm on 26 January.

This post will support the Planning Director in promoting the contribution of heritage to local agendas by establishing and maintaining effective networks and relationships, both internally and externally. Working with national, regional and local partner organisations the postholder will support and promote the aims and objectives of English Heritage.

Salary is £25,618 - 28,051. Full or part-time considered. Based in York. For further details / to apply click here. Deadline is 29 January.

Drury McPherson Partnership is looking for a senior associate (with partner potential?) to join its flourishing small specialist practice. The successful candidate will need to have a wide knowledge of the historic environment and extensive experience of working in the sector - including giving evidence as expert witness at public inquiry, preparing conservation management plans and statements for major historic sites, undertaking conservation area appraisals and drafting policy and guidance documents. The postholder will also need to have an interest in developing the business side of the practice and helping to direct the practice's wide-ranging workload.

To find out more / apply please ring 020 8977 8980 or e-mail a CV to amcpherson@dmpartnership.com Further information about the practice can be found here.

If you would like to propose an item for inclusion in Update, please email details to the Editor Emma Robinson no later than midday on the Tuesday prior to publication (Update is published on alternate Fridays).

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